


What Do Birds Sing About?

by ResonanceAesthetic



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Older Characters, angst at first sight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-04-03 07:33:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4092478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResonanceAesthetic/pseuds/ResonanceAesthetic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maka Albarn and Soul Eater Evans were to be married within the next month, but then the war started.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mourner

The first question I asked him on the morning he proposed. I remember it all so clearly. The grass on which we sat was wet from dew. His silky, white hair was pulled back out of his eyes that morning. I was wearing my favorite sundress. The birds that sang quietly in the oak tree above us got me thinking. So, after a few heartbeats of pure silence, I asked him, “What do you think birds sing about? Like, really. And don’t you dare give me an answer like ‘Oh, that’s too deep of a question to even think about. I’m too cool to think.’” 

He laughed, a soft and hearty chuckle, and then he considered the question for a while. I could see the pure focus in his crimson eyes. Then, with a slow inhale of confidence, he turned towards me. His warm gaze caught mine. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. 

“Maka Albarn, as long as I considered that question, I cannot think of a single answer that would make sense. For instance, maybe birds sing about how bright the sun is; maybe they think it is going to devour the Earth one day. Maybe their singing is actually the screams of fear birds let out to calm their nerves. I honestly have no clue what birds sing about,” I remember the pause in his speech as he drew in air again, “One thing I do know, is that… I wanna be with you for the rest of my life, however long that may be considering the work that we do.” I completely forgot to breathe as his hand slipped into his pocket and brought out a small, black box. 

“Maka Albarn, will you marry me?” Soul’s voice cracked horribly as he tried not to cry. I nodded as my eyes filled with happy tears and my hands covered my mouth. I still remember his arms around me as I blubbered and nodded cheerfully. 

We were to be wedded the next month, but then the war started. Since Soul was a Death Scythe, he and I were expected to fight alongside Lord Death. The fight was hard and long, but on the third day something happened that caused me to not sleep for days on end in that hell. I recall it so vividly like it was yesterday. We were fighting, he in Scythe form and I in my own. The enemy was a creature unlike any I’d encountered. I didn’t know it well. I underestimated it and it cost me so much. I swung Soul at it with what I thought was focused finesse, but the creature knew my move too well. It unsheathed its knife-like claws and knocked him from my hands. My shriek of panic must have caused Soul to lose focus. He shifted into his human form, which was a horrible move. He was weak, wounded, and vulnerable. The animal turned to me, grinned, and leapt. I wish I had closed my eyes then, so I didn’t have to see his face when the enemy’s claws sunk into his neck, stomach, and chest. Even now when I close my eyes, I have to focus to not see his expression as he died. His panicked, wild eyes dulled as the life was taken from him, as I lost the aura of his soul.   
What happened next was a blur, but I remember waking up when the battle was over. I was lying down covered in the murderer’s blood. Crona was looming over me, tears running down their cheeks. I remember the words they spoke, the few syllables that broke me for years to come.

“We won… but Soul…” 

Then my memory blacked out again. I spent the next few weeks in a blind rage in my own apartment. I had allowed dust to gather and flowers to die; I had wanted the whole household to expire with my feelings. I don’t know what I would have done if Tsubaki hadn’t come to my door after a month of my absence. She sat down on the couch across from the one I was cowering in. 

“I brought hot tea, Maka. I’m afraid it cooled down on the hike over, but it should still be fine.”

I looked up at her, and I guess my dead, icy gaze frightened her because she flinched slightly. Now that I think about it, I’m surprised my appearance or the wrecked appearance of the room didn’t scare her away. When I quit staring into space, I gazed up again to see Tsubaki handing me a thin mug. I shakily took it and sipped feebly. While I enjoyed my first drink in a few days, she explained the current situation to me.

“As you know, I divorced Black Star a few months back, and Crona is currently staying with me until they get financial aid to get their own apartment. I think it would be best if we got you out of this environment and let you move into my flat for the time being. Luckily, you are on paid leave however long you like by order of Lord Death.” 

The next few minutes were silent until I shakily exhaled and clumsily rose from my spot on the couch. My hair was matted and my clothes were dirty, no wonder she wanted to help me. It was then that I decided to speak my word.

“I’m sorry that you came all the way here with that delicious tea just to hear me decline your gracious offer,” my shoulders slumped as I spoke in my miserable tone, “But, oh well, you did it. No thank you, by the way, I am living just fine in my trashy flat. By myself.” 

Tsubaki sighed, and turned away. She waved a ‘goodbye’ and left. Her tea was still on the table. Next to it was a dusty, old picture of Soul and I when we first moved in. I let out a choked sob and collapsed down on the couch with a loud thump. I still missed him dearly. I regretted that I had just coldly turned away my friend’s offer to help my depressing situation.

“Tsubaki…” I cried out in my cracked, rusty voice. She must have been waiting outside the door because the next thing I knew was being guided out of my flat.


	2. Settle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maka has successfully moved in with Tsubaki and Crona.

I was but a ghost in Tsubaki’s flat. I was even quieter than Crona was. For the first few days of my stay, I locked myself in the small room both of them cleaned out to make space or me. The room was nice. The walls where what Tsubaki called a ‘floral white’, and there was a window that overlooked the city. Most of the time I hid from the light using the pretty lace curtains. 

I emerged from my self-assigned isolation on a Sunday, three days after Tsubaki walked me to her building. The two others were in the kitchen, quietly chatting over types of Earl Grey Tea to purchase. Tsubaki was the first to notice me. She gestured with her eyes that I was there, and Crona looked over their shoulder. They slid off of the wooden stool and hugged me tightly, the baggy sweatshirt they wore rubbing against my skin.

“Thank you for coming out of that room, we missed seeing your beautiful face.” Crona handed me a hand-painted mug full of herbal tea. The steam that rose from it warmed my cheeks. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room that Tsubaki had completely redone ever since the divorce. She had placed her book collection from five years ago in a shelf across from the couches. Her collection consisted of a few English novels that I dove into immediately, such as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Watership Down by Richard Adams, and The Shining by Stephen King. I was flooded by the foreign works, but also was intrigued by a familiar name. I found a few beautifully handwritten transcripts of haikus by Matsuo Basho, a famed 17th century Japanese poet. Not only were the poems a memory from my childhood, but also I noticed the unique style of writing that was used to rewrite the poetry. Tsubaki had noticed my interest and startled me when she spoke so close to my ears.

“You know I wrote these, not the poems of course, but the handwriting style.”

“They are absolutely gorgeous, Tsubaki. How did you ever learn to write like this?”

“My brother taught me some when I was a wee girl. He taught me how to write stories of my own as well.”

“If you don’t mind, I would love to see them.”

Tsubaki’s cheeks flushed. “Of course.”

Tsubaki shared some of her poetry and taught me how to write some of my own. By the time it was dark, Crona was home and shared some of theirs. That ended with Tsubaki and I in the corner questioning our existence. It took two mugs of tea and half an hour to pull us out of the funk. 

“Sometimes I forget that my poetry can do that. Sorry.” Crona giggled, in the middle of trying to fit ten mugs into the dishwasher. I just realized how much tea and warm beverages our tiny family went through. 

“It’s alright… All part of the fun of sharing artistic works.” Tsubaki sighed. She fiddled with the written on and partially crumpled notebook paper they had used to create a collaborative piece. Let’s just say it was a mixture of sad words, calm words, and bad puns. Although the piece was a work of art, it would never find itself amongst Shakespeare. 

“Dear lord, it’s midnight.” Tsubaki’s startled voice shook me from my thoughts. “I have to get up early,” she rose to stretch, “I’ll be off to bed then. Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight.” Crona and I said in unison. After five minutes of cleaning the surroundings, I lit one of the lavender-scented candles and sat back down on the couch with the sweater wearing other.

“How have things been around the DWMA since the war? I mean, you have been going during the day, right? Give me the gossip.”

“I have been going during the day. Both meisters and weapons have healed nicely and have returned to their studies, wherever they might be. However, a new witch,” Crona shivered at the mention of ‘witch’, “has been spotted by a mountain range close to Germany. She’s not too powerful, but her supportive army is growing fast. Her name is Magie.”

“Anything else besides the new opponent?”

“There is something else. It isn’t quite as important as Magie, but uh…”

“What is it, Crona?”

They sighed and cracked a small smile. “Well, Blair, your cat-witch-lady, has started teaching classes.”

I snorted. Hard. Then I began to choke on my water. I coughed for about five minutes beside a very concerned agender. I was crying by the time I regained my breath.  
“Blair, as in sexy, careless, fake witch, shapeshifting cat Blair?”

“Mhm..”

“Well, uh, what does she even teach?”

“Some sort of magical potions class. It’s very popular, but not for the academic reasons.”

I let out a laugh. “Of course, Blair is running the damned class. The students might as well just go home because they aren’t going to learn anything from her.”

“What did you say?” A muffled voice came from outside the window. Crona and I turned to see a dark purple cat sitting on the windowsill. She looked quite pissed at us. Crona turned pale.


	3. Visitor of the Feline Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blair still exists?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. This chapter is uber short. Well, I wanted to get something up tonight.

The cat hissed through the window. “I went to look for a job that covered me and that old apartment. Teaching a class at the DWMA is pretty much the only job here that you can get that has great pay. I am in a financial situation. I have to pay rent by myself. Let me in.”

Since Crona was paralyzed, I hesitantly opened the window in the living room to let Blair in. She shifted into her human form, which I must say is definitely more intimidating than a cat, and plopped down onto the couch. 

“Thank you, Maka dear. I must ask now, when will you be moving back in with me?”

A lump formed in my throat. I had only been away for three days. 

“Sorry, Blair. I won’t be moving back soon. I’d still like to enjoy the environment of Tsubaki and Crona’s flat.”

Was that a glimmer of anxiety in Blair’s eyes? I was trying to confirm my thought when the cat lady turned around with her ears twitching. She grumbled faintly and turned back to face me, her face blank and stoic. 

“I must be leaving. Remember the guy who died in the war against the Mizune Family? Oh wait, you weren’t there. Too bad, I guess. Ciao.”

And with that, she jumped out of the window. A bad landing and a cat’s yowl sounded in the alley below. I looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was nearly one in the morning. 

That’s when I noticed the head motionless against my shoulder. The silence gave way to the purring noises that were Crona’s quiet snores. I sighed. They must have fallen asleep while Blair was here. I assumed Crona was too heavy to pick up due to the black blood and ten-pound Ragnarok installed in their blood. I instead slowly removed myself from the couch and grabbed a blanket from my room. The blanket would probably provide enough warmth for the night.  
After I had tucked in the lavender-haired other, I slipped into my bedroom. The room was dimly lit by the moonlight that slipped in through the lace curtains. I crept onto the bed and pulled out a novel from my own collection back at my own apartment. I lit a candle and placed it on the nightstand. The clock neighboring the candle read 2:00. It seemed I wouldn’t be getting much sleep that night.


	4. Meteors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry for leaving for a while. I've just been working on my other AUs which I have yet to post.

Two months of bonding and healing finally urged me to come out of my shell. It was finally time, I told myself. Tonight was the rare occurrence of a meteor shower in Death City’s view. Tonight I would get over Soul. Tonight I would accept my loss and live the rest of my life to the fullest. 

“Maka? Are you close to being ready?” Tsubaki’s soft voice reminded me of my current position: totally NOT ready.

“Uh, yeah!” I stammered, flinching at the realization that I looked like trash. I flung myself across the room and opened the doors to the closet. I nearly ripped the DWMA shirt from its hanger and pulled some athletic shorts on. I burst out of the door panting and looking less trashy.

“Nice outfit, Maka,” Tsubaki beamed, obviously pumped for tonight’s events. I smiled back subconsciously. Tsubaki was wearing a loose, very loose, floral top and white shorts. Crona, on the other hand, was wearing a DWMA shirt with a jacket tied around their waist and denim shorts. 

“So, where are we headed anyway?” I inquired.

Crona spoke up right away. “Well, there are three staff and student only areas to watch the show, so Tsubaki and I voted on that based on experience with the public areas. Uhhh, heh, I learned a lot about the public last year. Not a good thing. So anyways, the three areas consist of the balcony of the DWMA, the basketball court, and the hill that flattens into a field behind the school. The field is less crowded because there’s no Internet. Now, we’ll miss the show if we’re late.”

Crona and Tsubaki speedily left the apartment, but I lingered. I heard footsteps coming back towards the door. It was Tsubaki.

“Maka? Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine. It’s just… That field… It was where Soul proposed to me.” I leaned on the couch for support because my legs were shaking. I tried to fight back the tears that formed in my eyes. 

“Maka… I’m sorry. Do you want me to stay and have Crona take a video of the meteor shower?”

“No, no. I’ll be fine. I promised myself that tonight I would have a good time. And I will no matter what.” 

“If you’re completely sure then,” Tsubaki grabbed my hand and squeezed it, “Let’s go!”

Tsubaki let out an innocent giggle and quickly led me out the door. For some reason, I felt blood rushing to my cheeks. We arrived in the field after ten minutes of giddy sprinting. I was still holding her hand when we got there and Crona showed us the chairs we’d reserved. 

“I’m glad you guys could make it. I’m not sure if I could deal with being here alone much longer. The meteor shower is about to start apparently.”

Right after Crona spoke, a single flaming object descended into view. It was truly astounding. Many other burning rocks followed its leader. ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ were heard all around our chairs. The last rock fell nearly an hour later, and midnight was closing in on us. That was when Crona spoke up again.

“So I heard about this party being held in the DWMA… Kid is hosting it. It might be fun to, uhhh I don’t know… maybe loosen up?”

Tsubaki looked at me; I nodded. 

“That sounds like something we could attend for once. We do have something to celebrate after all.” Tsubaki gestured to me by squeezing my hand again. Apparently we’d been holding hands the entire time. I wasn’t bothered. It took us another five minutes to get to the party, which of course was already full of loud people. Crona flinched slightly at the clamor, but then relaxed and wandered towards a table. Tsubaki handed me a glass of punch, obviously spiked by someone already, and leaned up against a wall. I stood next to her.

“This old place gives me memories. Good ones, bad ones, it’s almost ridiculous. Do you feel me, Maka?”

“I do,” I took a sip of the punch and shivered at the bitter taste, “I most certainly agree, but I have to say this punch is god-awful.”

Tsubaki snorted, downing the last of her punch and staring at me with pride.   
“At least I can drink mine in less than an hour.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“It most certainly is.”

One year after and still don’t know why I accepted her challenge. Maybe I was trying to impress her. Maybe I forgot that I can’t hold more than a glass of spiked punch. Oh well, because in the end we were both incredibly drunk (Tsubaki won by the way) and had to be dragged home by poor Crona, who still brings up the crude remarks said by us. The only thing I remember clearly was the next morning. Half of me was on the floor and my legs were tangled with Tsubaki’s. She rolled on her side and my legs hit the tile with a loud smack. I guess the pained noise I made woke her, because she sat straight up. She then groaned and clutched her forehead. I then realized my body ached as well. 

“Ohh my God… What happened last night?” Tsubaki whined, regret edging her voice.

“You two went nuts with the punch. I don’t even want to explain what went on.” Crona’s voice wavered. “Do you want some water?”


	5. The Talk

All of it was explained to me over the half hour Tsubaki was out grocery shopping. I think I zoned out about halfway through because the next thing I knew Crona was no longer in my sight. Instead, Tsubaki was unpacking food from plastic bags. So much was running through my head I didn’t even hear her ask me something.

“Maka. Maka? Are you okay?”

I think I jumped about a foot in the air even though I was sitting. My gaze refocused on the weapon. 

“I’m ok. Just tired I guess. Wild party last night, eh?”

She blushed. A light blush that colored her cheeks pink. Oh boy, did that wreck my train of thought. Did she remember? I didn’t ask her about last night. I was scared to do so, but I couldn’t grasp why.

“I-I think so. My memory is a tiny bit foggy thanks to my throbbing head.”

I managed a small smile. “Yeah. Me too.” I wouldn’t dare say anything, at least not yet. I needed time.

“I need some fresh air. I’m gonna wander outside.” 

I went completely blank as I stumbled out the door. Before I realized it, I was near the end of the city. I looked out upon miles of unforgiving desert. 

“How did I stagger into this mess?” I asked myself. Thankfully with no one near I was able to do what I wished. 

“Did I really… Did I really get so drunk that I… kissed Tsubaki?”

I sat down on a sandy rock that seemed to be debris from Death City’s last near-death experience. 

“It’s extremely likely, but I’m afraid to consider it. I don’t know why? Could I… I mean could it be possible that I like Tsubaki? Even after all that has happened,” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, “Is it possible that I fell in love again? Could I trust someone with my heart like I did with Soul?”

I was crying again. After about five minutes of weeping, I tried my best to clean up. 

“I can’t solve my issues by crying. I should know that by now.”

I rubbed my eyes gingerly and shook my head. It was time to wander back home. However, when I stood back up, someone was already there to greet me.

“Crona, how did you find me down here?”

“Well, it was quite easy actually. Remember a while back when I tried to run away and you found me in a hole? I came here and stood here first. Looking out upon the vast world almost made me change my mind, but obviously that wasn’t what happened, right Ragnarok?”

The small, black figure immediately burst from Crona’s back. 

“I changed your mind for the GREATER GOOD!”

“Hah, yeah right. Anyways, Maka, is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

I sat back down on the rock and sighed. “There are lots of things I need to talk about, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to admit they happened.”

“The thing is… you can’t deny your past, and you can’t deny what has happened. Denying is not equal to never happened because life doesn’t work like that. I’ve learned that the extremely hard way.”

For some time, there was only silence. Then, Crona sighed.

“I think you have a lot to talk about, but not with me. Talk to Tsubaki when you feel like coming home.”


End file.
